The present invention relates generally to electrical connectors for connecting a power or communication cord to an appliance or telecommunications equipment and more particularly to a rotary electrical connector for such use.
A rotary electrical connector is used, for example, in conjunction with a cord that connects the handset to the base of the telephone. The purpose of the rotary electrical connector is to prevent the cord from becoming tangled or twisted when used over an extended period of time, which is undesirable.
Rotary connectors generally comprise a spindle at least part of which is contained within a housing. Either the spindle or the housing is mounted for rotation in relation to the other, about a common axis. Male and female modular electrical connector elements are associated with one or the other of the housing and the spindle. That part of the spindle located within the housing has electrically conductive rings located around the periphery of the spindle, and these rings are connected by electrical conducting elements extending through the spindle to electrical contact members on one of the modular connector elements. The rings are engaged by other electrical contact members electrically connected to further contact members on the electrical connector element associated with the housing. There is thus formed a rotatable electrical connection between the modular male and female connector elements. The female connector element associated with the rotary connector receives a modular male connector element normally located at one end of a telephone cord, and the male modular connector element associated with the rotary connector normally plugs into a female connector element on the telephone, either the hand set or the base.
Most rotary electrical connectors of the type described above are relatively complicated assemblies containing a relatively large number of parts which are difficult to assemble and have operating difficulties.